


And I'll be yours

by septnanis



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, Confessions, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, POV Multiple, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-03-15
Packaged: 2019-11-18 13:50:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18121793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/septnanis/pseuds/septnanis
Summary: The story of how Sora fell for Riku, and the story of how Riku let him.The long version of Riku's abridged version in my fic 'Singularity'.





	And I'll be yours

It shouldn’t have surprised him.

 

It still did.

 

With less than an hour on Sora’s hand, red blinking imprint starting to burn, Riku stared at the figure in front of Sora and him in awe.

 

Sora’s grip on his hand loosened and fell away, but he could still feel the warmth of his presence next to him. It had been too easy, he should have at least known that, that neither Sora or he was going to get out this so easily. Even after the gruelling run of the game, he’d been fooling himself into thinking they could just go home.

 

“Joshua.”

 

He looked the same way as he did in their Mark of Mastery, wavy blonde hair and elfin features. If their circumstances weren’t so horrible Riku would have laughed.

 

“Hello, Riku.” Joshua’s voice was upbeat and friendly, but the glint in his eyes was mysterious.

 

“Joshua, what’s going on?” Sora asked, his voice wobbling. He probably thought Joshua was on their side. “We don’t have much time left, we can still get out of here…”

 

Joshua shook his head and crossed his arms. “I am sorry, Sora, but that’s just not how this is supposed to play out.” He began to pace in front of them, but he kept a certain distance.

 

“W-what do you mean?”

 

“I mean,” Joshua uncrossed one arm to gesture with his hand. “that you were warned about what could happen if you abused your power, and you did it anyway.”

 

Sora shot forward and held his arms out. “To save my friend! Xehanort destroyed Kairi’s body and her heart was lost. I was the only one who could save her!”

 

Beside him, Riku remained silent. The feeling he had when Sora had told them he was going to look for Kairi alone came rushing back to him. Both hope and defeat mixed into one, the will to protect and the will to give his friend the chance to finally believe in his own strength with no one there to stop him. Kairi may have been Sora’s precious person, but Sora was his and he had to let him go.

 

Joshua tutted. “Oh Sora, you really have to learn that nothing is ever that simple.”

 

“Why? I saved her, didn’t I?” He looked behind him at Riku, who wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Riku said so. He said she was back home and she was safe. And now I’ve played your game, so let us go home.”

 

“And isn’t that just the problem?”

 

Another figure appeared in a flurry of black energy and purple light. Riku would know a dark portal anywhere and it was almost unsurprising to see a hooded figure step out of it. At that point though, he felt a weariness in him that had difficulty caring who was underneath the hood.

 

“Who are you?” Sora asked, taking one step back.

 

The figure held his hands out to the side and laughed. “Does it matter? We’ve met before, but I doubt you’d remember, and whether or not you remember isn’t going to change how this conversation is going to end.” There was a smug tinge to the figure’s voice. “One thing’s for sure and certain… _So-ra_.”

 

He began walking towards Sora and the weariness in Riku melted away in a heartbeat. His feet moved quickly and he put himself between Sora and the mysterious figure. Braveheart materialised and he held it out in front of him. The figure stopped and wiggled his gloved fingers in the air. “Oooh my… should’ve known _you’d_ be here! It doesn’t really matter how much trouble he gets himself into, huh? You just throw yourself after him, consequences be damned. Such loyalty, such devotion. I’d be impressed… if you weren’t such a pain in my neck.”

 

Riku put his other hand on the Braveheart’s handle and held it out more forcefully. “Stop talking in riddles. Tell us what you two want or buzz off.”

 

“Told you, he’s not going down without a fight.” Joshua said, his arms still crossed.

 

“He never has.” The mysterious figure replied with an amused voice.

 

Riku took a step towards them, “I _said_ … tell us what you want.” He’d had enough of hooded people wasting his time and making his life harder than it already it was.

 

The figure stood straight in front of Riku and at his full height. Sora took a step towards Riku, their bodies almost touching, his fists clenched.

 

“What I want… is to make a deal.” His voice was no longer amused. “Neither of you are supposed to be here. One of you is here because you apparently want to learn the hard way that certain decisions have certain consequences, and no amount of light or friendship or _heart_ will save you from that.”

 

Sora looked down for a moment, understanding that it was about him.

 

“And you, mister Keyblade Master, are here because you are burdened with righteous fury and an overprotective nature that is not only going to get you killed, it already has and very likely will again. And if I let you two stay here I’ll have to be looking over my shoulder every minute of every day and I am just not sure I have the patience for that!”

 

Riku lowered his Keyblade an inch or two, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “So, what’s the deal?”

 

“A trade,” Joshua said. “you came here to make sure he came home, Riku.”

 

He did. He had taken the steps that led to the moment he woke up on the pavement in the world they were now in. No matter how dire it had seemed when he woke up, he could feel Sora’s heart again and it had been worth it.

 

“You stay here, he gets to go home.” Joshua offered.

 

Sora’s Keyblade materialised suddenly, a flash of golden light and the other was suddenly ready to jump into the fray. “No! No…”

 

“Deal.”

 

The hooded figure broke into peals of laughter, the kind that made Riku cringe and shut his eyes. Sora gripped his arm with one hand and began to pull at it desperately.

 

“You don’t mean that, Riku, you don’t…”

 

“Should have known it was going to be that easy! Honestly, you make it so easy.” The amusement in the figure’s voice was not reflected on Joshua’s face, whose arms were still crossed and his eyes still focused on Riku. “A deal, it is.”

 

Light came from behind them, bright and almost blinding and Sora’s body began to lift into the air, slowly. He struggled against it, arms and legs flailing as if he was swimming against a strong current that was about to sweep him away. His Keyblade had vanished as quick as it came, in another flash of golden sparkles.

 

“Please, Riku, don’t do this!” He shot out a hand, his face screwed together as if it was costing him all the strength in his body to do so. Riku raised his own hand, his shoulders slumped, and took Sora’s hand in his own. Sora’s legs began to rise above the rest of his body, as if he was begin pulled into the light, his other hand shot out to grab onto Riku’s hand. Like a tether, they held on to each other, Sora desperately and Riku defeatedly. “I won’t leave without you!”

 

“Time to say goodbye, Keyblade Master, there’s only so much effort I’m willing to put into this deal.”

 

Riku ignored the figure’s sarcastic tone and smiled at Sora. Really smiled at him, as brightly as he could manage. There were tears streaming down Sora’s face now, his cheeks were red with exertion from holding onto Riku’s hand. “It’s okay, Sora.” He said, and brought his other hand up to join the one already enfolded in Sora’s. “It’ll be okay,” Sora replied to him with a litany of no, no, no’s. “You two can be together now, that’s what matters.” No matter how much sorrow he felt in that moment, it didn’t feel like it mattered when he knew Sora was going to go home and be safe and happy. One tear managed to escape, one tiny piece of evidence how he really felt slipped free, “Goodbye, Sora.” And he let go.

 

In another flash of light Sora was sucked upwards like a leaf on a strung gust of wind, one last desperate call of his name the last thing Riku heard before he disappeared.

 

The silence that remained was deafening.

 

Of all the times they had been separated, it was the first time Riku felt he would never see Sora again. Another tear ran down his cheek and he wiped a hand over his face.

 

“Now what?” He asked before turning back to the two behind him.

 

“Now we can finally have a conversation without him hovering around you, all that chatter about goodness and light and hearts and ugh, he hasn’t changed a bit. Neither have you, by the way.” Riku turned to the mysterious figure slowly. “And now that he’s not here for you to worry yourself silly over, because he’s home safe I promise!” If Riku could see his face he would probably be grinning. “we can make an actual deal.”

 

Joshua stepped forward and Riku automatically took a step back. “Listen to him, Riku, if you want to go home.”

 

“You just said only one of us…”

 

“You really have forgotten how to play the game, and you used to be so good at it, too.” The figure interjected, staying where he was.

 

Riku shook his head. “You keep saying that, how I’ve changed and how I used to be. We’ve never met before!”

 

Joshua took another step. “It’s a long story, longer than you’re ready to understand at this point. But I’m asking you one last time, listen to him and do what he says.”

 

“Once upon a time,” The figure turned and began to walk in the opposite direction. “you were what you were before you are what you are now. And you are what you are now because of what you did then! Now here we are, head to head yet again over the same problem. It sounds ridiculous and vague, I know, but if I explained it to you now, you wouldn’t believe me anyway. So my deal for you is simple, so you can understand it and keep it.”

 

Riku nodded, even if only Joshua could see it.

 

“Keep your head down. Live a modest life, do something good with it. Just let your destiny come to you, instead of going out and looking for it.” It was a simple request, and still Riku didn’t quite understand what it meant. “As for your other half,” Riku frowned deeper at the description of Sora. “keep an eye on him, make sure he keeps his head down, too. The next time he wants to abuse the power he’s got, throw everything off balance, maybe you can be the one to talk him off the ledge. Screwing up time and space, the red tape is absolutely awful, you would not believe!”

 

Something happened in Riku’s chest, it felt like hope but it felt like fear as well. The figure turned towards him and walked straight up to him. For some reason Riku didn’t pull away when the taller man wrapped his gloved hands firmly around his biceps and gave him a little shake. “My old friend, if you’re in there somewhere,” Riku’s eyes went wide. “we’ll meet again. But not for a very long time, as far I’m concerned!”

 

Riku broke out of his hold and stumbled back, “W-who are you?” But what he really wanted to know was, who did this person think he was? The hopeful yet fearful feeling inside him intensified, a feeling from somewhere deep inside him.

 

“Do we have a deal?” The figure held out his hand to Riku.

 

With a confused look in his eyes Riku took the gloved hand and squeezed it as hard as he could.

 

The light that had swallowed Sora appeared again and suddenly Riku felt weightless. “No! Wait! Tell me who you are!”

 

Joshua stepped in front of the mysterious figure, who was walking backwards slowly and waving. “Goodbye, Riku. I do look forward to the next time we meet.”

 

Without anyone to hold him down, Riku floated upwards much quicker than Sora had and the light swallowed him.

 

The minute he hit the water, it was like falling straight asleep when his head hit the pillow.

 

When he broke the surface of the water and saw his home in the distance it was like waking from a dream. The sun had set so low it was practically night, the sky painted purple and dark blue, tinged with just a hint of orange, the light fading. It wasn’t a long swim to the shore but the waves were high and the wind was blowing hard.

 

A storm, most likely, and when he began to swim towards the shore he was glad for the waves pushing him towards it. His arms and legs felt like they were brand new, achy and sore. Still he swam until the water was shallow enough that he could stand. He was breathing hard, his chest heaving and his lungs burning. As far as he could see there was no one else on the island, but to his relief it looked like it had the last time he had seen it.

 

His feet felt like lead as he trudged through the water and Riku stopped just where the waves met the shore. Fat raindrops began to fall, slowly at first but then in rapid succession. With no strength left in his body he collapsed to his knees in the waterline. What had happened? Had he been sent back to the same place they had sent Sora? How long had it been? It had been barely ten minutes between the moment the mysterious figure and Joshua had sent Sora away and when Riku was swallowed by the light. Had it only been ten minutes in this world?

 

The deal he made, it meant he would have to stay at Sora’s side. Make sure he didn’t get himself into too much trouble. He dropped to his knees. The mysterious figure, glib and sarcastic as he had been, was right. He would sacrifice anything for him, even if it meant seeing him happy with someone else. At least he could still protect him.

 

But for a moment, with no else around to see, the part of his heart that yearned to protect gave way to the part that yearned to love and he put his head in his hands and cried for the first time since their island was swallowed by darkness.

 

—-

 

Aya never ran. That’s just not the kind of person she was. Not when her husband had walked out on her and their little son, not when her son had disappeared on her and came back haunted and quiet. But this time, for some reason she couldn’t explain, when he knocked on the door of his own home and fell into her arms and called her _mama_ like he was five years old and still such a sweet boy she had felt full of a frantic feeling she couldn’t seem to get under control.

 

She tucked him into his childhood bed, his feet dangling off the edge and kissed his face and his hair and his eyes until he nodded off.

 

And she ran. Straight out of her house and down the street.

 

Just a week ago Sora had come to her door, his round face so young but his eyes so different. If she had seen Riku, if she had heard from Riku, and she had done something she’d never done before. She shouted at him. Told him to get out and leave her be. She’d lost her son because of him, because Riku was either doing something to get Sora to follow him or racing off after Sora himself. Her son’s friend was like the sun, and her son the moon, helpless in his orbit around the other, basking in his light so he could reflect it back at him. Sora had left with a heartbroken expression and a dozen apologies.

 

When she reached the house her son’s best friend lived in she stopped by the door to catch her breath, her silver hair coming loose from the braids she put it in that morning. The moment she felt her breath had returned to her enough she knocked on the door over and over again until it swung open.

 

“Honestly, do you know what time… Aya?” Sora’s father was friendly faced man with brown hair and brown eyes who had once upon a time tried to be a surrogate father figure in her own son’s life until it became clear Riku had no desire to have another person he would just end up losing again. “What on earth, are you alright?”

 

“Gorou, where is Sora?” If Sora had told his father anything about how she had spoken to him, the man wasn’t showing it.

 

“Asleep, it’s the middle of the night…”

 

“Riku came back. He’s home. Will you tell him…” Aya said, twisting her hands into her skirt. “Tell him Riku’s back?”

 

Gorou nodded and smiled a little. “I’ll tell him when he wakes up, he hasn’t been sleeping well.”

 

Aya bowed deeply. “Thank you.”

 

She stayed in front of the door even after it shut before she turned and ran home again.

 

—-

 

_I’m only gonna tell you this now, because I don’t think I’ll ever get another chance. And even if… even if you don’t feel the same way, I think you deserve to know how much… this sounded silly in my head but it sounds even sillier out loud. Please don’t feel bad, I never expected anything from you but to be your friend. I know I’m young, we’re both so young, but there’s something in my heart… just the way it was built, I guess, it just knows it was meant to be yours, no matter what._

 

Sora cringed at the static that filled his ear through the phone. It was followed by a sigh.

 

_It is yours, it always will be. So if you ever feel alone, or you feel scared, or not strong enough… my heart’s yours, to keep you company, and keep you safe and help you be strong again. Thank you, Sora, for being my friend, for forgiving me… for being someone I could love._

 

The words broke off and the message ended. Just the way Sora knew it would. He’d listen to the message over and over again. When he got back the message had popped up on his phone, along with the dozens of others he’d been sent by everyone after he disappeared. He listened and read each and every one, promising to see everyone when he got the chance.

 

He saved Riku’s message for last and stared at the wall for the better part of an afternoon after the first time he’d heard it.

 

Every time he listened to it after that things began to fall into place. The way that Riku would speak to him, the way he touched him or didn’t touch him, the way he went out of his way to make things easier for Sora but at the same time challenged him to be better.

 

He and Kairi sat on the trunk of the Paopu tree and he let her listen to it. At first it felt like an invasion of Riku’s privacy, what if Riku didn’t want Kairi to know he felt that way about Sora. But Sora hadn’t noticed the tears on Kairi’s face before she was brushing them away with her hand.

 

“Did you… did you know?” Sora asked.

 

Kairi shrugged and smiled. “It took me a while, but yeah, I knew.”

 

“But he was always fighting so hard to impress you and protect you!”

 

“Sora…” Kairi sighed and handed his phone back. “It was never about me. It was always you.” She put her hands in her lap. “Are you going to look for a way to find him?”

 

Sora looked out at the horizon, the setting sun bright orange. “Well, you’re leaving… and I can’t stay here. I gotta find a way to get both of you home safe.”

 

“I’m not leaving because I don’t want us to be together.” Kairi said, putting her hand on the hand Sora was leaning on the tree with. “I need to find out who I am. I need to find out what I want. You’re my greatest friend, Sora. I never want that to change.”

 

Sora gripped her hand back tightly and gave her the brightest smile he could summon. “It never will! We’ll always be friends, no matter what.”

 

She leaned back a little and hummed. “And when Riku gets back, I hope he and I can be great friends again too! Like when we were little.” She shrugged again.

 

“Yeah! When I find him, we’ll visit you, I promise.”

 

“Sora,” She said, her face suddenly seriously. “Just… think about what he said. When he gets back you’ll have to give him a response. He probably thinks you and I… especially after everything, that we’re…”

 

Sora shook his head, “But we’re not.” They’d discussed it, tried to figure out what it was between them. Kairi had been the one to back off, to tell him she needed time to find out who she was on her own. Once upon a time he’d gotten butterflies in his stomach at the idea of holding Kairi’s hand and hugging her and being with her but when the moment was finally upon them to do those things, the butterflies had gone. All he felt was a deep, warming affection and a need to keep her safe, maybe a little more than his other friends, but not in the way he used to think he did. “I will, Kairi, I will think about it. And I’ll miss you.”

 

She smiled at him one more time before she turned her head to watch the sun set. “I’ll miss you, too.”

 

—-

 

Riku managed to avoid Sora for almost two weeks. He wanted to leave sooner but his mother had looked so heartbroken at the idea of him leaving again that he had stayed. He spent as much time with her as he could and gently told her he was going to leave, that his place was no longer on the island. After two weeks he’d finally gotten the courage to leave. He would come back eventually, but he needed to move on. He needed to not feel so wounded whenever he thought of Sora, much less when he saw him.

 

Sora hadn’t even rejected him, yet.

 

He wasn’t sure how that was going to feel, but the fear of it was already overwhelming.

 

Sora caught up to him on the play island, where Mickey was going to open a portal for him to go through. The rage in his eyes had been incandescent.

 

He should never have left that stupid message on his phone. What an idiot.

 

“You are such a stupid jerk!” His best friend since forever shouted as he jumped off the pier where he had tied his boat and onto the sand. “I had to beg your mother to tell me where you were. If I had been ten minutes later would I have missed you completely?” He got right up in Riku’s face, who gave him the best stony look he could muster. “After everything we went through, this is how we’re going to end this?”

 

“We’re not ending anything, I just need some time…”

 

“Oh yeah sure, you need time. And Kairi needs time! Meanwhile I stay behind and get to wonder if you’re okay.”

 

“Sora, it’s not forever, I just need to be by myself for a little while.”

 

Sora shot forward and grabbed both Riku’s hands. “You told me you loved me!”

 

Riku stood stock still, his entire body paralysed and his eyes wide.

 

“You promised… you’d keep me company, and keep me safe and help me be strong. You can’t promise me that and then leave!” Sora bent his head and laid his forehead on one set of their joined hands. “I can’t give you an answer to that yet, I’m sorry… but I want to find out what it means to me. Never really got the chance to find out what I want, so I need time too. Can’t we take time together?”

 

Riku was torn between pulling away, a last semblance of self preservation. But that was that fear in him, that he was going to get hurt in the long run no matter how long he gave Sora. The hope in him, that stood side by side with his fears, ran faster and stronger through his body and reminded his mind and heart that he’d already spent enough time apart from Sora.

 

“We can, we can go see the worlds together! Just like we always wanted to. We can visit Kairi and Roxas and Lea and the King… I miss Donald and Goofy, we can see them too! Not because the world needs to be saved or because it’s our destiny, but because we can. So please… don’t go.”

 

The mysterious figure had been right, even if the memories of that place were now like a hazy dream. It didn’t matter where Sora went or what kind of trouble he got himself into, Riku would never not follow him.

 

—-

 

In Twilight Town they met up with Roxas, Xion and Naminé again. They seemed happy, almost carefree. They had made friends with Hayner, Olette and Pence like Sora had hoped they would. How concerned they had been for Roxas had touched his heart.

 

“Lea and Isa went off for a little while. Needed to figure some things out.” Xion told Sora. They were sitting on a ledge in town, drinking lemonade Roxas had bought them.

 

“Everyone seems to be doing that lately.” Sora said, taking another sip. In the distance Roxas, Hayner and Riku were tossing a ball around, while Pence, Olette and Naminé sat on the sidelines and cheered every time someone caught the ball.

 

“We all went through a lot, so it’s to be expected. That is what you and Riku are doing now, right?” Sometimes it startled Sora a little how much she looked like Kairi, but her mannerisms were her own so the shock at seeing a Kairi with black hair abated quickly. “We’ve all come far… and we can’t go back. I’m glad you have Riku to look out for you. He was kind to me, well, as kind as he could be considering I was another person keeping him from helping you. I think I reminded him of you too much to be cruel.”

 

Heat rushed to Sora’s cheeks. Ever since they had left Destiny Islands to travel the worlds, he had been hyper aware of Riku. Every way he looked at Sora, the tone of his voice — even the tone of his voice when he spoke of Sora to others — how he suddenly seemed a little bit taller and he’d really never realised how green Riku’s eyes were. One time in the Gummiship Riku’s hand had brushed against Sora’s accidentally and Sora had pulled his hand away in shock, until he noticed the flash of hurt in Riku’s eyes so he grabbed his hand and said something that made Riku laugh.

 

“How’s Kairi?” Xion asked, changing the subject.

 

Sora finished his lemonade, “Great! We went to see her at Radiant Garden, she’s got everyone there wrapped around her finger already.” And returned Xion’s smile when she smiled at him. “She and Riku talked for ages, I’m not sure what about, but they seemed happier when we left. I guess everyone does need a little time to figure things out. Riku told me they argued before he left to get me back and they both felt really bad about it.”

 

“They’re both strong-willed people, and they care about you a lot.”

 

“Hey, you two! Gossip time’s over, we’re gonna get dinner or we’ll be late for the movie!” Roxas was waving from where he stood with the others. Olette told them about a great new movie that was playing in the outdoor theatre that was supposed to be really funny.

 

Both Sora and Xion slipped off the ledge and made their way to the rest of the group. Something Hayner said seemed to make Riku laugh and just as he did he turned towards Sora and their eyes met. Sora’s face warmed immediately and he raised one hand to one cheek. He put both hands behind his head and laughed the blush away.

 

—-

 

For the first time in years, they were having fun.

 

Twilight Town really had been a blast, after the movie — they laughed so hard tears had streamed down their face and Riku had even _snorted_ once — they spent a few more days there, eating ice cream and playing games. Riku had let Sora and Little Chef cook something for him and the praise Riku had given him had his stomach flipping and his toes curling for the rest of the day.

 

After that they’d visited the Land of Dragons. Mulan and Shang had been surprised but happy to see him again. They camped up in the mountains and helped them with a heartless problem — there were remnants of heartless in the worlds, they were finding out — which had been so much fun, Sora was almost sad to see the last heartless defeated. Riku was really something to behold in battle, and they fought together seamlessly. After that they went to a village festival where they ate steamed buns and Sora underestimated how strong the rice wine was and the fireworks were so pretty he’d been awestruck.

 

In Olympus they were just in time for the games. And that time it wasn’t just battling in the arena, but a test of all kinds of strengths, from throwing a variation of things to running and climbing. They both signed up without hesitation. Hercules had laughed at how eager they were. In their short togas and sandals, Sora had felt a little silly but it felt like it was worth it when he suddenly realised how long Riku’s legs were. When he ran in a race and came in second, Meg and Sora had cheered from the stands. The silver of his medal went well with his hair. The feast afterwards had been fun, but Sora felt a feeling he’d never really felt before when he saw a black haired gold medalist — probably from throwing something, or something silly like that — walk up to Riku and give him what Sora was sure was a flirtatious smile. “What are you pouting about?” Riku asked him when he rejoined Sora, two cups of juice in his hand. Sora shook his head. Even he wasn’t sure why he felt that way.

 

They travelled all the worlds Sora had visited with Donald and Goofy, showed Riku all the best places.

 

In Deep Jungle they got lost but had the best day he remembered ever having, swinging from vines and seeing funny animals that made even funnier noises.

 

Agrabah had been an adventure again, after they helped Aladdin and Jasmine find his long lost father, and even got to attend their wedding.

 

The gang in San Fransokyo had been surprised to see Riku, having met an alternative version of him who hadn’t been too nice. But they warmed up to him quickly when Sora explain that he was the real Riku, and he was his best friend. San Fransokyo reminded both of them of that realm they had ended up in, but the more time passed the hazier their memories of the place became.

 

It was in Corona that everything fell into place.

 

“So, it’s a festival to celebrate the harvest?” Riku asked Eugene, who Sora was pleased to see hadn’t changed a bit.

 

“It’s a festival to celebrate a successful harvest! The adjective is important here.” The town aroundthem bustling to get ready for the festival. They arrived early in the morning and the festival wasn’t going to start until in the afternoon.

 

“Got it!” Sora said. “Pretty great timing, huh?”

 

Riku and Eugene both nodded and Riku smiled that smile at Sora again, the one that made his knees feel a little funny. Eugene ushered them up to the castle. Rapunzel and Sora had been ecstatic to see each other again. From his little hopping hug Sora saw Eugene lean over and mumble something to Riku, which made his pale face flush.

 

“We should get you guys some clothes, so you blend in with the locals!”

 

Sora had been given a pair of dark red pants and a cream colored shirt, along with a brown, soft leather vest with gold embroidery and buttons on it. Riku wore blue pants and a pale yellow shirt, the vest and tall boots just like the ones Eugene wore. He looked so… grown up.

 

A while later, they walked around the festival. They bought gifts for Kairi — they were visiting Radiant Garden one more time before going to the Land of Departure by invitation of Aqua, Terra and Ven — a pretty glass bird that had a little bell inside that made it sound like it was chirping and a pink hair ribbon made of fancy looking velvet. They ate food that made them both feel a little full but smiling at how good everything tasted.

 

At sunset there was dancing in the square, which Sora and Rapunzel did for what felt like hours. The music was so cheerful and upbeat and Sora hadn’t felt so carefree in years. He didn’t even know the steps to any of the dances, but his enthusiasm more than made up for it. Riku for some reason, didn’t seem to be interested in dancing but he stood at the side, talking with Eugene about how knows what.

 

“Okay!” Sora said, bouncing up to the two men, his face flushed. “Next dance is uh, a slower one. So will you?” He held his hand out to Riku, who looked somewhat surprised he was being asked. Or maybe it was because he was being asked by Sora, because had seen pretty girls and even a few boys walk up to Riku out of the corner of his eye. They had all looked equally disappointed when he shook his head no and Sora had felt strangely smug.

 

“I uh, I’m not much of a dancer, Sora.” Riku replied, not taking his hand.

 

The shorter of them wilted a bit. “Oh, please? You haven’t dance even once, and you have to help celebrate the successful harvest!” He leaned over to whisper. “The adjective is important, remember?”

 

Riku laughed and rolled his eyes. “Fine. But if I make you look stupid, on your head be it.” He took Sora’s hand.

 

Just as they made their way to the square the slower song began. It wasn’t a sad song, but the violins made it sound just a tad melancholy. The sun had set and there were pretty lights and lanterns hanging from the roof tops and strings pulled between them. The dance was relatively simple so Riku, as he was wont to do, picked it up pretty quickly.

 

For some reason though, he wasn’t looking at Sora. He had one hand in his own and the other rested on his shoulder and Sora just wished he’d put his hand on his waist and pull him a little closer and oh—

 

There it was.

 

All of the little details, ever since they had come back to the islands, ever since Sora had found out Riku was perfectly fine with being his friend but deep down wanted more but would never ask for it, fell into place. He liked the way Riku looked at him, he liked the tone of Riku’s voice when he spoke to him, the curve of his neck and the color of his hair and how Sora fit right under his chin when he hugged him, like they were puzzle pieces that fit together.

 

He understood now what he meant. And maybe he didn’t feel as deeply or as long as Riku had felt for him, but Sora believed, more than anything, that he could. That if they stayed together, he definitely would.

 

He wanted to stay with Riku for as long as he could.

 

Before Riku could even be surprised by the hand Sora laid on his warm cheek Sora lifted himself up on his toes and pressed his lips to Riku’s. It was only for a second, but it was warm and right and he wanted to do it a hundred more times just to find out if it was just as good as that time.

 

Riku looked taken aback.

 

“Sora, why… why did you just do that?” He sounded careful, he sounded as hopeful as he did fearful and it kind of broke Sora’s heart to really feel and see for the first time, how much Riku really wanted to be with him. Like he was nervous Sora had given him something he was going to snatch back.

 

“You said I was your most precious person once.” Sora said, they had stopped dancing but the other couples danced gracefully around them. “I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out but…”

 

“But what?” Riku asked, his voice a little shaky but his grip on Sora’s hand tightening.

 

“But you’re mine, too. I just never knew you could be. But you are.” He leaned up again, standing on his toes so he could reach Riku’s face.

 

His best friend’s eyes were a little watery but he looked happy before he leaned down and closed the distance between them. His hand slid from Sora’s shoulder and out of his hand so he could wrap them both around Sora and pull him closer. He was right, they did fit together like puzzle pieces.

 

When they pulled apart, the people around them were laughing and clapping and someone even patted them both on the back. Riku’s face was bright red but he was laughing in that happy way he had when they watched that silly movie in Twilight Town.

 

Sora thought back on Riku’s message, the words he’d said to him in a last ditch effort for Sora to know how he really felt because he’d been too scared to tell him, for fear of rejection and the loss of his friendship. The way his heart was built, to want to protect Sora and make him happy and love him.

 

He kissed him once more, the third time, and he was pretty sure his was built the same way.

**Author's Note:**

> The Secret Movie realm: Listen, that Secret Movie was so incredibly ambiguous I don't even know what they're planning with it, hence why I limited it to a conversation with MoM and Joshua, who may or may not be in it, who knows. Anyway, they'd probably be a pretty diabolical team. How Riku got there, dunno. What they went through, dunno. I'm so curious as to what's gonna happen I didn't even want to fill in the blanks myself. 
> 
> MoM's hint that he already knows Sora and Riku: I was watching the PV for Passion, and considering that's the one that's considered to be the official 'Soriku OP' along with Dearly Beloved, I thought the PV was interesting. Utada coming down from the sky as a heavenly figure, to take human form in a large castle or hall. Maybe Sora is the reincarnated version of Kingdom Hearts, and Riku the reincarnated version of its guardian and companion. Maybe MoM had something to do with them having to take human form and being reincarnated. I'm pretty sure I'd die if that was even remotely the case. 
> 
> Kairi: As incredibly meh as I am about SoKai, Sora's relationship with Kairi and vice versa is very relevant to the story. What I want to happen in games from now on is for her to have a story outside of him. To be honest with their personalities, they make really beautiful friends and I love writing them as such. Riku and Kairi would be wonderful friends too, even if they'd have to work a little harder at it. KH2 made a wonderful start of that, but let it fall so flat in 3, which was shameful and saddening. I don't have much hope for it, but give me Destiny Trio friendship already, ships completely left aside. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading this, the next instalment in this series will be the wedding! 
> 
> I'm always looking for new friends, because I like making new friends! You can find me on Twitter at @laughertea.


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